To:M. I. FRUMKIN

Published:First published in 1959 inLenin Miscellany XXXVI.

      Printed from the original.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1976,

      Moscow,Volume 45,

      pages61b-62a.Translated:Yuri SdobnikovTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet ArchiveYou may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

14.XII.1920

ComradeFrumkin,

Iam writing you about your exclusion (and Svidersky’s)
from the collegium. I believe that it was necessary to put
through the All-Russia Central Executive Committee’s
decision on such members in a pedantic manner—and that
is how the C.C. has
decided.[1]Political conditions demand
particular circumspection in this matter, as in the matter
of recruiting workers. I hope you will fully understand that
the political considerations, which the C.C. has approved,
must not and cannot in any sense be interpreted as
signifying a lack of personal confidence, an underestimation of
personal qualities, etc. (even if there were gossipy attempts
to do so).

Thenew composition of the collegium without yourself
must be accepted as a political necessity, and the mistrustand suspicion (of the unwillingness to “recruit workers”,
unwillingness to have more democracy, etc.) should be
dispelledby hard work(I personally am sure that you and
Svidersky will do this quite easily, and that this will come
about of itself through a continuation of your work). The
whole point is to have yourwork, without the official high
rank (member of the collegium), refute all the slanders, all
the apprehensions of the workers and the trade unions. I
repeat I am sure that you and Svidersky will understand
this and will easily do it, There and therealonelies the
gist of the matter.

Withcommunist greetings,Lenin

[1]Areference to the resolution on the food question adopted by
the All-Russia Central Executive Committee, on N. P.
Bryukhanov’s report, on September 26, 1920. Its point 12 said: “In
order to make the work of the governing centre of the People’s
Commissariat for Food more flexible, the Council of People’s
Commissars is to be authorised to limit the Collegium of the
People’s Commissariat for Food to seven members (the People’s
Commissar and his deputy included), instructing the People’s
Commissariat for Food to give a precise definition to the functions
and responsibilities of each” (Postanovleniya i rezolutsii sessii
VTsIK sedmogo sozyva=

[Decisions and Resolutions of the Seventh
All-Russia Central Executive Committee Session], Moscow,
1920, p. 77).

APlenary Meeting of the R.C.P.(B.) Central Committee on
December 9, 1920, adopted a decision to reduce the number of
members of the Commissariat’s Collegium to seven, including
the People’s Commissar, in accordance with the resolution of
the All-Russia Central Executive Committee. On December 14,
the C.P.C. approved the new Collegium: People’s Commissar
A. D. Tsyurupa, Deputy People’s Commissar N. P. Bryukhanov
and members I. S. Lobachev, N. Osinsky, A. P. Smirnov,
A. B. Khalatov, L. M. Khinchuk.